College Roundup: UCI beats Bakersfield

BASEBALL

UC Irvine 11, Cal State Bakersfield 6

BAKERSFIELD — Freshman Andrew Thurman and sophomore Kyle Hooper combined for 8 1/3 shutout innings to key the Anteaters in the nonconference road game Saturday.

Thurman entered in the first inning in place of starter Crosby Slaught, who gave up six runs, five earned, on six hits while recording two outs.

Thurman allowed six hits in six innings to improve to 2-3 and Hooper threw 2 1/3 hitless innings to record his first save.

Senior left fielder Drew Hillman was three for four with three runs batted in. He had two doubles.

Junior designated hitter Jordan Leyland was two for five with three RBIs and senior third baseman Brian Hernandez was three for five to pace UCI’s 14-hit attack.

UCI (27-12), scored four in the first, tied the score with two in the third, then scored two in the fourth and one in the fifth to take command.

The series rubber game is Sunday at 1 p.m.

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Doubleheader

IRVINE — Vanguard University scored three runs in the 10th inning to post an 8-5 win in Game 1, but host Concordia rallied for a split in Golden State Athletic Conference play on Saturday.

Jerry Peña and Darrell Hudson had back-to-back RBI singles with the bases loaded to key the opening-game win for the Lions, who conclude the season 22-26, 16-20 in conference.

Jeremiah Mejia hit a three-run home run for the Lions in Game 1, then went two for three with one RBI to key the visitors’ five-hit attack in a 6-1 loss in Game 2.

Concordia is 31-18, 20-16.

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WOMEN’S WATER POLO

UC Irvine 15, UC Davis 9

SANTA BARBARA — Danielle Warde scored five goals and Jessy Cardey added four to help the Anteaters win the Big West Conference Tournament semifinal Saturday at UC Santa Barbara.

No. 10-ranked UCI (20-8) bids for its third straight conference tournament crown and an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, when it faces No. 16-ranked Long Beach State (13-16) in the title game Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

Long Beach State upset No. 2-seeded Cal State Northridge, 7-6, in overtime in the other semifinal Saturday. The 49ers upset host UCSB, 4-3, in the opening round on Friday.

Warde and Cardey each have 50 goals this season for UCI, which outscored the Aggies, 5-1, in the third quarter to pull away after holding a 7-6 halftime edge.

Lauren Davis made six saves for UCI, which has defeated Long Beach State in two of their three meetings this season. UCI won, 8-7 on Feb. 13, lost, 6-5, in overtime on Feb. 27, then prevailed in the conference regular-season finale, 8-7, on April 21 at Long Beach State.

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MEN’S TENNIS

UC Irvine 4, UC Santa Barbara 1

INDIAN WELLS — Defending champion UC Irvine, the No. 1 seed, advanced to Sunday’s final by handling No. 4-seeded UC Santa Barbara in the semifinals of the Big West Conference Championship on Saturday at Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

UCI (18-7) takes on No. 3-seeded Pacific in the title match Sunday at 9 a.m.

Corona del Mar High product Fabian Matthews won in singles and doubles for the Anteaters, for whom Chris Kearney clinched the victory with a 7-5, 7-5 triumph at No. 1 singles.

Three matches were halted before their conclusion, when the margin of victory was assured.

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WOMEN’S TENNIS

UC Irvine 4, Cal State Northridge 1

INDIAN WELLS — The defending champion Anteaters advanced to Sunday’s final by topping the Matadors in the semifinals of the Big West Conference Championship on Saturday at Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Courtney Byron won at No. 1 singles and at No. 2 doubles with Kristina Smith, who also won at No. 3 singles.

The No. 6-seeded Anteaters improved to 12-12 and will face top-seeded Long Beach State (19-5) on Sunday at 9 a.m. UCI lost to the 49ers, 4-3, in their regular-season meeting on Feb. 27 at UCI.

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WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD

Orange Empire Conference Finals

RIVERSIDE — Sophomore Sara Toberty won the 1,500 meters and the 5,000 to help Orange Coast College finish second in the team standings in the meet contested Friday at Riverside Community College.

Toberty finished in 4 minutes, 41.72 seconds in the 1,500 and ran 18:20.62 in the 5,000.

Freshman Meghan Foley posted the only other individual win for OCC, topping the field in the 800 in 2:16.65. Foley was also third in the 1,500 in 4:51.19.

Sophomore Chelsea Hilliard was second in the 400 hurdles (1:07.74) and third in the pole vualt (8 feet, 6 3/4 inches), while sophomore Kira Hellmer was second in the 200 in 25.60 and third in the 400 in 59:03.

OCC’s Andrea Gayton-Jacob was second in the 5,000 in 18:46.52.

OCC amassed 173 points, more than 55 behind conference champion Riverside.

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MEN’S TRACK & FIELD

Orange Empire Conference Finals

RIVERSIDE — Sophomores Rich Nelson, Jake Dawson and freshman Hugo Gutierrez all won events to help Orange Coast College finish second in the meet concluded Friday at Riverside Community College.

Dawson, a Newport Harbor High product, won the 5,000 meters in 15:18.90.

Nelson won the shot put (46 feet, 6 inches) and Gutierrez topped the field in the 1,500 in 4:08.58.

Freshman Patrick Douglas was second in the 5,000 in 15:49.19 and third in the 1,500 in 4:1.40.

Alex Leyva was second in the javelin (173-7), while Jason Opena (56.64 in the 400 hurdles) and Robert Stevens (171-2 in the javelin), placed third.

Orange Coast had 181 points, 165 fewer than conference champion Riverside.